Atlanta Motor Speedway News
Bristol Motor Speedway Races |
Winner |
| Race #4, 07 |
|
Jimmie Johnson |
| Race #33, 06 |
Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 |
Tony Stewart |
| Race #4, 06 |
|
Kasey Kahne |
| Race #33, 05 |
|
Carl Edwards |
| Race #4, 05 |
|
Carl Edwards |
June 22, 2006:
Atlanta Motor Speedway Construction continues: Atlanta Motor Speedway announced on March 1, 2006 major facility changes that will be in place for the October 27-29 Bass Pro Shops 500 race weekend. These changes include replacing the Weaver Grandstands along the backstretch with an all-new Trackside Terrace RV camping area, plus the addition of the new Winners Grandstand and Club One overlooking Turn 1. Updates of work completed to date: Trackside Terrace RV Camping area: Concrete demolition of the Weaver Grandstands is complete. More than 30 percent of grading is complete and the remainder will be completed in the next three weeks. After completion of the grading process, underground utilities will be put in place. Winners Grandstand / Club One: · More than 70 percent of the footers that will support the Winners Grandstand are currently poured. · Both elevator shafts and stair towers are erected, and concrete landings and floors are currently being poured. · In the next several days, the elevator shafts will be enclosed in steel. · Grading in Turn 1 is 60 percent complete and will result in a concourse level widened by 16’. (AMS PR)
March 17, 2006:
Atlanta traffic trouble: This weekend's Golden Corral 500 race events at Atlanta Motor Speedway is expected to make for lots of traffic on the south side of Atlanta. Officials say especially heavy traffic flow will take place throughout the weekend. More than 120,000 race fans are expected at the event. Traffic is expected to be heaviest during the Friday evening rush hour, as fans head to the track for Georgia Power Qualifying Night and after 8 a.m. on Sunday for the actual race. Fans are encouraged to leave early to avoid the rush of traffic expected to reach the race track around 8 a.m. Officials say all racetrack-bound roads, especially Highway 19/41 and Highway 20 (Bruton Smith Parkway) will be affected. (WSBTV)
March 15, 2006:
Georgia Motorsports Day tomorrow: The 4th annual Georgia Motorsports Day at the Georgia State Capitol will be held on Thursday, March 16th outside the State Capitol on Mitchell Street in Atlanta at 10:100am/et. Scheduled to attend: Governor Sonny Perdue, Georgia House Representative Mike Barnes, Georgia State Senator John Douglas, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman and CEO O. Bruton Smith, AMS President Ed Clark, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver - Reed Sorenson (Peachtree City, Ga. Native), NASCAR Busch Series driver - John Andretti (owner of Andretti Indoor Karting Center in Roswell, Ga.), NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers - Bill Lester (Atlanta, Ga. resident) and David Ragan (Unadilla, Ga. native). If it rains, the location will be inside the Capitol in the North Wing. This will be the fourth annual racing rally in Georgia; for the last three years, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue passed a resolution supporting the racing industry in Georgia. (AMS PR)
Mar. 5, 2006:
Record Atlanta Purse: NASCAR drivers competing in the March 19 Golden Corral 500, the March 18 Nicorette 300 and the March 17 John Deere 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be battling for nearly $6.5 million in posted prize money. The awards for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series events are part of a $6,452,858 purse announced for the three days of racing that comprise the March 17-19 Golden Corral 500 race week schedule of events. On Sunday, the stars of the NEXTEL Cup series will take on the high banks at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Golden Corral 500, battling for a record purse of $4,843,713. This year's purse represents an increase of nearly $200,000 over the prize money posted in the March 2005 Golden Corral 500 NEXTEL Cup race just one year ago. The purse for the first race ever held at Atlanta Motor Speedway was $39,500, a far cry from just the winner's take home pay of $147,850 for this year's race. Great seats are still available for the Golden Corral 500 race weekend, March 17-19. Contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office by calling 877-9-AMS-TIX (877-926-7849), 770-946-4211 or by visiting atlantamotorspeedway.com. (AMS PR)
Feb. 24, 2006:
Six NASCAR legends to serve as Grand Marshall at Atlanta Busch race: Six of the greatest drivers and legends of NASCAR - Richard Petty, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons, Buddy Baker, and Donnie Allison - will serve as Grand Marshals for the NicoretteÒ 300, the NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, March 18 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The six legends were selected by Nicorette® nicotine gum to serve as Grand Marshals as a tribute to their racing careers and for their personal support of smoking cessation. The NicoretteÒ 300 marks the first NASCAR race to ever be sponsored by a smoking cessation product and is just one activity in a season-long sponsorship designed to eradicate smoking from the sport of NASCAR. “We are thrilled to be able to have these six NASCAR legends serve as Grand Marshals for the NicoretteÒ 300,” said Steve Kapur, Senior Brand Manager, Promotional Marketing at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. “Through the support of Richard, David, Ned, Buddy, Benny and Donnie, we hope to inspire NASCAR fans to quit smoking and improve their health. We thank these NASCAR legends for their support in this important cause.” The six NASCAR legends will jointly give the command “Gentlemen, Start your Engines” to start the NicoretteÒ 300 while making appearances throughout the day. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the six legends the morning of March 18 (time to be announced) at a question-and-answer session held at GSK’s Winner’s Circle Exhibit in the fan walk area. Tickets to the NicoretteÒ 300 NASCAR Busch Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway are available. To order tickets, call (877) 9-AMS-TIX (877-926-7849) or order on-line at www.atlantamotorspeedway.com. (AMS PR)
Jan. 20, 2006:
Limited number Atlanta infield spots available: AMS officials announced today a limited number of infield camping spaces are still available for the March 17-19 Golden Corral 500 race weekend. The Flock Brothers Corral, which sits between turns one and two, and the High Speed Corral, which is situated between turns three and four on the infield of AMS, each have less than 30 spaces remaining. There are still plenty of Reserved and Unreserved outside camping spaces available. Because of the limited quantity available, fans interested in purchasing a Flock Brothers Corral or a High Speed Corral camping space are encouraged to act quickly. For $400 a year, fans can secure their spot in the Flock Brothers Corral for both NASCAR Nextel Cup race weekends. High Speed Corral spaces can be reserved for just $200 for both race weekends. Infield camping spaces as well as tickets to the Golden Corral 500 can be purchased by calling 770-946-4211, 877-9-AMS-TIX (1-877-926-7849), or online at atlantamotorspeedway.com. Fans can also stop by the AMS ticket office, speak to a staff member about various camping options and purchase directly from the ticket office. (AMS PR)
Dec. 5, 2005
Atlanta Speedway Children’s Charities To Donate: The Atlanta chapter of the Speedway Children’s Charities Foundation is spreading the holiday spirit this year in a big way. More than $180,000 will be presented to 23 area charities at the annual holiday celebration on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Despite losing valuable fundraising time because of a mid-summer tornado, this year’s total is an increase of more than $7,000 from last year. Representatives from each charity, including children who benefit directly from the Speedway Children’s Charities’ year-round diligence, will attend Tuesday’s events, which begin at 6:00 p.m. The program will be held in the Atlanta Motor Speedway ballroom and will feature a performance by the Mt. Carmel Elementary School Choir, as well as a special visit from Santa Claus and Atlanta Motor Speedway’s mascot, Monkey Wrench. Speedway Children’s Charities works year-round to raise money for local children’s organizations through special charity auctions, raffles, receptions, and donations from race fans. The culmination of their efforts is the actual check presentation to each organization, which occurs during this holiday celebration. “It’s an honor to give back to these organizations, and I’m privileged to be able to stand in front and represent the Atlanta Chapter of the Speedway Children’s Charities,” said Steve Roberts, 2005 chair. “We think we work hard, but these organizations really work, they are really committed.” (AMS PR)
Nov. 7, 2005:
Final Atlanta TV Ratings up: NBC's broadcast of the Oct. 30 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway earned a final rating of 4.7 from Nielsen Media Research and a 10 share, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Daily reports. The rating is 2.2% higher than the 4.6 rating NBC drew for the race in 2004. (NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)
Oct. 30, 2005:
Edwards Sweeps at Atlanta: Carl Edwards completed a sweep of the NASCAR Nextel Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and made up some ground in the Chase for the championship. Edwards, who barely held off veteran Jimmie Johnson for his first Cup victory on the Georgia track in March, had a dominating car through the second half of the 325-lap Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Edwards, in his first full season in NASCAR's top stock car series, lost a lead of more than 6 seconds when the last of nine caution flags waved for debris on lap 283. But he was able to regain control and pulled away to earn his third victory of the season, beating four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon to the finish line by 2.713-seconds, half the front straightaway on the 1.5-mile oval. Tony Stewart, the hottest driver in the series since June, finished ninth and increased his lead atop the standings from 15 points to 43 points over Johnson, who finished 16th the last driver on the lead lap. (ABC News - Results - Points)
Oct. 29, 2005:
Car of tomorrow to be tested at Atlanta: The second on-track test for NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" is scheduled Monday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with six or seven teams expected to take part. Among them will be Hendrick Motorsports, with Brian Vickers driving the first of the cars it has built in the new configuration. Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Kyle Busch, Vickers' teammate, said his team will not take part in the test, but have an avid interest in what takes place on the 1.54-mile D-shaped oval. "I don't think NASCAR's done refining it and I don't think any of the teams are, either," Gustafson said. "Definitely, we're nowhere close. It's going to evolve a lot. I hope it does. "The good thing that they're doing, and I like, is that it needs to an evolution. You need to have a lot of tests on it. We'll do different things and take time because our cars have gotten to where they are (through) 50 years of evolution." (ThatsRacin)
Oct. 10, 2005:
Bruton Smith parkway opens: At 3 p.m. today, the Bruton Smith Parkway (the newly realigned GA Hwy. 20) officially opened. Named after Atlanta Motor Speedway Chairman Bruton Smith, the four-lane parkway spans approximately ten miles and runs from exit 218 off I-75 directly to the speedway. Smith, Governor Sonny Perdue and DOT commissioner Harold Linnenkohl participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony to open the highway to vehicular traffic. Linnenkohl has been involved with the road construction project since its inception. “It is not only a great day for Henry County, it is a great day for this race track and it is a great day for Georgia,” said Linnenkohl. “This is a project that people have been working on for as long as 12 years. Groundbreaking and ribbon cutting are the two best days in the life of a commissioner. We love to see a project when it has been completed.” (Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)
Sep. 10, 2005
Brian France to open restaurant: Brian France, chairman and chief executive officer of NASCAR, has teamed up with Concentrics Hospitality of Atlanta to launch an upscale but casual restaurant in downtown Winter Park, at the corner of Park and New England avenues. Luma will open to the public Sept. 19 on the ground floor of the recently remodeled Bank of America building, with restaurant entrances on both streets. "We saw a terrific opportunity for us to be part of the revitalization of downtown Winter Park," France said in a written statement about the restaurant, which will seat more than 170 inside, with another 50 in the bar and 50 on the wraparound patio. It will also have space for 50 in a private dining area. Concentrics is a restaurant consulting and management company headed by Robert Amick, who has a track record of success in Atlanta with restaurants such as One Midtown Kitchen and Two Urban Licks. Amick said Luma will be a "neighborhood restaurant with citywide appeal," headed by executive chef Todd Immel. During his career, Immel has worked with top chefs including Guenter Seeger of Seeger's in Atlanta and Daniel Boulud of Restaurant Daniel in New York. (Orlando Sentinel)
July 28, 2005
Helton visits damaged Atlanta Motor Speedway: NASCAR president Mike Helton was back at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Wednesday, surveying the damage from a July 6 tornado and reassuring fans that the track will be ready for the Oct. 30 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Some of the worst damage, estimated at $40 million, was to the suites overlooking the Weaver grandstand, buildings that Helton, who once worked as public relations manager and general manager at AMS, helped build or remodel more than 20 years ago. "It looks like my stuff didn't hold up too well," Helton said. "Oh well, you just have to take it in stride." But after touring the track with its current top executive, Ed Clark, the NASCAR president was confident the upcoming Nextel Cup race will go on as scheduled. He said the racing surface, as well as the catch fence and garage areas, are ready to race. "The things that NASCAR needs to race are there," he said. "In a lot of ways it will be like nothing has happened." (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
July 21, 2005
Ford Fusion Prototype looks to hit the track at Atlanta: NASCAR and Team Ford Racing will get their first on-track look at the new Fusion in two weeks in a team effort. Wood Brothers Racing will run a prototype with former Nextel Cup champion Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing testing at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Aug. 2. The 1.5-mile track south of Atlanta is available despite almost $40 million in property damage from a recent tornado. “As of right now [the Sunday morning of the recent New England 300 at Loudon, N. H.], we’re still planning to test the new Ford and the new Chevrolet that day,” said Robin Pemberton, a former crew chief and Ford Racing official, and now NASCAR’s vice-president for competition. “They were hit pretty hard, but they’re cleaning up and making progress.” With small variations, it will go something like this: The Chevy and Ford haulers will arrive at AMS early in the morning. The team that tests first—that hasn’t been determined—will wait for the other team to leave the premises before unloading and testing. Once its test is done, NASCAR officials will accompany the car to the Lockheed wind tunnel in Marietta. The second car won’t be unloaded and tested until the other car is off the premises. Once its on-track test is completed, officials will accompany the second car to the wind tunnel at Marietta. (Ford Racing)
Atlanta adds suites: Atlanta Motor Speedway officials announced today the addition of twelve 16-person suites to their frontstretch suite level. Currently, AMS offers 30-person and 64-person suites, but with the recent tornado damage the track sustained, track officials chose to reconfigure the suite level area, adding a third option for their customers. “We have had a lot of requests from companies in the Atlanta market for suites on a smaller scale,” said Ed Clark, president and general manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway. “This option is perfect for an organization with fewer employees or wants to entertain their customers on a more intimate level. “With the recent tornado damage the speedway received, we are excited to take this opportunity to make positive changes to our already fantastic facility,” said Clark. “Our goal is to provide our customers an awesome experience each time they visit Atlanta Motor Speedway and this only enhances what we can offer our patrons.” Companies interested in leasing Atlanta Motor Speedway’s newly renovated suites for the upcoming Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 race weekend may contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway sales office at 770-946-3918. (Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)
July 14, 2005
Clark expects a few thousand seats less at AMS: It may have fewer seats when NASCAR comes back around in October, but the race will go on, Atlanta Motor Speedway's president and general manager said Thursday. Structures around the 1.54-mile speedway west of Hampton were heavily damaged by a July 6 tornado spawned in the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy. Condos and suites were blown apart, lights were thrown off their stands, poles were snapped in half, vertical scoreboards were toppled and debris was strewn across the track's 870 acres. "Pretty much everything but the track surface has been damaged," said AMS President and General Manager Ed Clark. The Weaver Grandstands, some of the oldest around the track, were heavily damaged when suites around the upper levels were blown apart. Thursday, crews were still working around the track to assess damage and remove debris. Clark said that while he hopes to replace all of the grandstand seats before the fall race, some sections of seats in the middle of Weaver, along the back straight-away, may have to remain closed. "We may not build back that section, but if there are areas where two rows are damaged and the next 10 are good, we'll probably try to go in and repair those two rows," he said. More than 9,000 seats will need to be replaced in the Weaver grandstand, about 1,000 in the Earnhardt grandstands along the front stretch. The damage may take up to a year or more to completely repair, but Clark said that over the next three months leading up to the NASCAR Nextel Cup weekend Oct. 28-30, crews will be able to make significant headway in getting things back in shape. He said race weekend should go off with little or no inconvenience to fans, but cleanup and rebuilding may be further rushed by the NOPI Nationals, an import tuner car show, scheduled for the middle of September. (Daily Herald)
July 11, 2005
Atlanta's fall date to Vegas damage related? Speculation continues in the NASCAR garage that damage from last week's tornado might force NASCAR officials to move the Oct. 30 race from Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Las Vegas, also owned by Bruton Smith, is still the buzz. But NASCAR president Mike Helton said he has had no such talks with Smith. (Salem Journal)
July 7, 2005
Tornado hits Atlanta Motor Speedway, Damage Severe: Torrential rains from Tropical Storm Cindy pounded most of west and north Georgia Wednesday and Wednesday night - with major wind damage reported south and west of Atlanta. The storm knocked down trees, damaged buildings and dumped more than 5 inches of rain in some places as it moved through the area, the National Weather Service said. The Hampton area in Henry County was hit hard. Four planes were overturned and two hangars were damaged at Tara Field, fire officials said. A building at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, which houses several condominiums on the top floors and administrative offices on the bottom floor, suffered severe damage, speedway President Ed Clark said. ``The condo building and the whole track area got hit pretty hard. It's pretty extreme.'' No one was injured, but windows were blown out and vehicles were blown around by strong winds, Clark said. Two people in GA. have died associated with T.S. Cindy. (Access GA) More coverage: The worst property damage from Wednesday night's storms appeared to be in Henry County where several homes were hit by what officials say was at least one tornado. Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., suffered significant damage. The track was covered in debris. Roofs and facades were torn off buildings. Several units at the speedway condominiums were damaged. Five of the 48 units are regularly occupied. Everyone got out safely. The building is currently unoccupied while it is checked for safety. Officials estimate it suffured $50 million in damage. (11Alive)
March 31, 2005
Final Atlanta Ratings: Final Nielsen Media Research figures show that Fox's broadcast of the March 20 Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway drew a 5.5 rating and a 13 share, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 12.2 percent higher than the 4.9 overnight rating for the race from the nation's largest television markets. The rating was down 3.5 percent from Fox's broadcast of Atlanta's 2004 spring race, which was run a week earlier and did not compete with CBS's coverage of the men's NCAA basketball tournament. The final 5.5 rating for Atlanta was down 1.8 percent from the 5.6 rating that Fox drew for the 2004 Darlington race, which was run on the comparable weekend. (Nielson TV Ratings)
March 22, 2005
Man Found Dead at AMS: A Cherokee County man was found dead of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning Monday morning inside an RV at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Henry County police said today. Police Lt. Jason Bolton said the RV's generator leaked, causing the deadly fumes to accumulate and kill B. Christopher Thompson, 37, of Ball Ground. Thompson's wife, Lori Thompson, 34, was airlifted to Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta. The hospital refused to give information on her condition Monday afternoon. Bolton said the couple spent the weekend in the 1996 Dolphin 535 mobile home while attending the Golden Corral 500 at the racetrack in Hampton. Friends staying in another mobile home found the couple about 10:30 a.m. Monday. The group had decided to return home Monday rather than fight the traffic Sunday night, Bolton said. Foul play is not suspected and an autopsy will be performed Tuesday.(AJC)
March 8, 2005
Drivers Testing in Atlanta: “Rocketman” Ryan Newman has four straight pole positions at the fastest track in the NASCAR, but Atlanta Motor Speedway’s fastest man didn’t have speed on his mind during Monday’s test at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Newman was in Atlanta for the first day of a two-day test for the March 18-20 Golden Corral 500. Also testing were Scott Wimmer, Travis Kvapil, Jason Leffler and Busch driver Brandon Miller. “It’s a really good track for us as far as the pole goes,” Newman said. “We’re good here for parts of the race, but not the whole race, so that’s what we’re working on. We’re working on long runs, tires, set-ups, and reliability.” (AMS PR)
Feb. 26, 2005
Las Vegas Not Adding 50,000 Seats: As reported on Jayski Atlanta Motor Speedway's two NASCAR Nextel Cup races would be moved to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2006 or 2007. The report also said that LVMS "supposedly has plans to add ... possibly 50,000 more seats." The rumor prompted amusement from LVMS general manager Chris Powell and an angry response from his counterpart in Atlanta, Ed Clark. Both tracks are owned by Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc. "I'm just trying to figure out where we're going to put 50,000 seats," Powell said, dismissing the rumor with a chuckle. Powell, who has been lobbying NASCAR for several years to get a second annual Nextel Cup Series race at his track, also said he has heard no talk about Smith moving a race to Las Vegas from any of his tracks -- or adding 50,000 additional seats. (Las Vegas Sun)
Feb. 23, 2005
Atlanta Not Losing Date: Contrary to an internet report Jayski posted Wednesday, Speedway Motorsports Inc. has no plans to move a NASCAR race date from Atlanta Motor Speedway to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “The report was completely unfounded and false,” Clark said. “It’s very disappointing that internet sites spread this kind of mistruth. Rumors like this, published without any respect for the truth or any attempt at verification, create confusion, and they hurt our fans, our competitors and the sport.” A Sports Illustrated survey published in the Feb. 21 issue also listed Atlanta Motor Speedway as the favorite track of 36 NASCAR drivers polled anonymously. “There have been absolutely no discussions in our company about moving a NASCAR date from Atlanta,” Clark said. “We will continue to host two NASCAR races well into the future, giving fans the ‘Real Racing. Real Fast.’ that they expect when visiting NASCAR’s fastest track.” (AMS PR)
January 20, 2005:
Atlanta Expands Camping Grounds: When Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark was planning the new Mid-State RV Family Campground last fall, he decided to make it bigger than necessary for the first race, assuming the crowd would grow into the size. Imagine his surprise, then, when all 500-plus RV and tent spaces were sold for the fall Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. “It was such a huge success during the first race that we already had a waiting list when we came back from race weekend,” Clark said. “Our fans spoke to us loud and clear, and we’re responding by accommodating them with additional camping areas.” Which Clark and his staff are currently doing, adding 72 spaces to the Mid-State RV Family Campground. But they’re not stopping there: AMS is also adding a brand new unreserved camping lot north of Speedway Boulevard, on previously unused land (Catchfence)
November 7, 2004:
Yellow in Question? NASCAR's late yellow at Atlanta has provoked questions in the Cup garage about the inconsistency in NASCAR's reaction to such situations. The caution was put out for Kevin Harvick's stalled car on pit road. Jack Roush, car owner for Mark Martin, who lost the race in part because of that yellow, questioned the call. Now others in the Cup garage are also questioning the call, pointing to a similar situation earlier in that race where NASCAR officials let teams pit while Elliott Sadler's crew had his car up on jack stands on pit road for repairs.(Winston Salem Journal)
